Somewhere Just off of Lake Superior, Ontario

Looks like some place out of Lord of the Rings! It was soo magical there. We were on our way to see some pictographs on a cliffs. It's that time of the year again when I get really bored of the cold and start putting up images of the warmer months. The last thing people want to see right now is snow I think (or maybe that's just me!).

Pesto Pasta With Leeks and Sun-Dried Tomatoes!

Pesto Sauce:

2 cup fresh basil (not dried) (leaves plucked from stem and washed well)
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 a fresh lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup almonds or sunflower seeds (unsalted, raw, and soaked for at least an hour)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
2 Tablespoon tahini
1/2 cup water

Toppings:

10 sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in water for 20 minutes)
2 large leeks (chopped and washed very well)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
pinch of sea salt

Pasta:

You can do either raw zucchini pasta, which is prepared with a spiral cutter that you can buy on-line (best thing I ever bought), or you can just prepare your pasta of choice as directed on the package.

Instructions:
1. Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor for a couple of minutes.
2. prepare pasta of choice.
3. saute leeks in a pan with a bit of olive oil and sea salt.
4. Pour pesto sauce over the pasta and top with leeks and chopped up sun-dried tomatoes.
Now eat it!! The sauce can also be used to make pesto pizza (spread it over pita bread and add toppings), or used as a dip! I love it. Try it yourself.

Hiking in The Woods is My Gym :)

James and I went hiking behind the Toronto Zoo on New Year's Day. I am kind of a princess when it comes to doing physical workouts in a gym, so hiking and exploring the outdoors do the trick. I love walking in the woods, in the snow, canoeing, swimming, biking or anything outside. Get me in a gym and I feel like a duck out of water.

  

We had a wonderful time and saw the most incredible animals from the other side of the fence. We howled at some wild white wolves (not in the zoo), who howled back at us- actually that was kind of freaky because the light was failing at that point.. 

We saw some moose, a couple of elk and a yak that looked positively bored. This is the trouble with keeping animals trapped in compounds much smaller than what they would have in the wild. 

What a great way to spend the first day of the year. If the gym is not your thing, then get outside and get your heart going while surrounding yourself with beauty :)

sage of the forest

This is a photo James took of an owl. They do eat small animals, but unlike humans, do not have the gift of choice in the matter.

Joshua and the tarantula

Josh is looking a little unsure of his new friend in the reptile room at the aviary in Niagara Falls.

my birthday

James took me to the aviary in Niagara Falls for my birthday! It was so beautiful. We practically had the whole place to ourselves and took plenty of photos of the exotic birds flying all around us and perched in trees. Everyone should go see this place if you have the chance.

Omatepe Island, Nicaragua

I wish we were back on Omatepe Island right now as I sit here listening to my neighbor shoveling snow madly before he heads off to work. What a beautiful place it was. The Island is made up of two volcanos, one active and the other inactive. It has been regarded as a sacred location for a very long time, representing life and death; and seen from above it makes a figure eight.

We camped on the side of the inactive one, where we had a beautiful view and access to some really great petroglyphs a few steps away. I have to somehow find adventure in my day today. I find that I like winter a lot better now that I've learned to dress warmly with many layers. We go hiking and picnicking quite often in the craziest weather, but I'd rather be outside than inside any day!

This photo was taken by our friend Megan Miller who we met in Panama, but now lives in the States.